


To Hell and Back

by KuribohIChooseYou



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Domestic Bliss, Established Relationship, Kid Fic, M/M, Post-Canon Fix-It, Prideshipping, Self-Indulgent, non-DSOD compliant, rated for mild swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:53:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25949164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KuribohIChooseYou/pseuds/KuribohIChooseYou
Summary: In which Kaiba had to travel to the afterlife to take Atem back, and tell the gods to get wrecked, to fully understand why he should have never torn up Sugoroku's BEWD card.
Relationships: Atem/Kaiba Seto, Kaiba Seto/Yami Yuugi, Kaiba Seto/Yami Yuugi | Atem
Comments: 8
Kudos: 55





	To Hell and Back

**Author's Note:**

> This is the product of my prideshipping trash self and a "what if" scenario regarding a certain limited-print card. it is entirely self-indulgent and i'm not sorry

There were three things in Atem’s life that were so essential to his person that, without them, he would never be the same. In reverse order of importance, they were dueling, his friends, and his family.

Atem had not entered a professional duel in nearly three years, and he had a very good reason to have semi-retired from the spotlight. He made appearances at KaibaCorp tournaments, of course, but he was much more content to sign autographs, sit in the stands, and watch the new wave of duelists chase their dreams of being the best there ever was. Yugi’s title remained intact, but Atem would be damned if some of the newcomers didn’t give his old partner a run for his money.

As for his friends, he was content to know they were all moving on and doing well in their own regards. Anzu had scored a role on Broadway last year and the musical’s run was nearing its end. She was hoping to spend some time in Japan when it did to recuperate from the long, strenuous days, and to visit for the first time in three years. There was only so much FaceTime calls could do to alleviate missing her, and she still had a very special someone to meet.

Jou was still dueling, and was a national champion at that, much to Kaiba’s incredulity. Kaiba still bitched about it whenever Jounouchi was on TV, and it made it all the sweeter to the blond to know that. But what Atem was most proud of was how Jounouchi had taken his winnings and put them towards his university tuition, and gotten his degree in education. Everyday Jou was learning, but he’d found his purpose in passing on some of that burning passion to the next generation and protecting it with all his might.

Honda had married his childhood crush, Shizuka - with Jou’s blessings of course. Honda had been so nerve-wracked the day he sat down with Jou and expressed his genuine feelings towards his best friend’s sister, and had asked his permission to date her, in reference to something they referred to as The Bro Code. Jou had clapped him on the back and told him he could think of no one he’d rather have try to court his beloved sister than his best friend in the whole world – but that his body would never be found if he ever hurt Shizuka. No one, especially not Honda, doubted the weight his threat held considering their shared history of gangs in their teen years. Honda had joined the force after enrolling in the academy not long after high school, and loved every minute of keeping the peace.

Otogi was swamped as ever with his business, especially since Dungeon Dice Monsters went global nearly ten years ago, and with the next generation having grown up with the game, it was as popular as ever. He had even convinced Kaiba to allow Dungeon Dice Monsters to coincide with a handful of Duel Monsters tournaments, and Kaiba was nonplussed that those tournaments had seen some of the highest turnouts in KaibaCorp history.

Mai was enjoying being a mother more than anything. Her life had quieted in some regards compared to her dueling years, but had grown in literal volume with the explosion of twin boys with Jounouchi. The sunny blond-haired boys gave their parents hell at every turn, and both Mai and Jou loved them more than words could express. At first glance, the twins were identical in every instance. It was only when one looked closer did the difference in eye color become noticeable. One pair was hazel, the other lavender. Jou had pouted when they were born, saying he was cheated out of having two ‘Mini-Me’s’. Mai had laughed and replied that she was thankful that Jou’s genetics were not that strong. Ever since, playdates had become a regular thing, and Atem pointedly ignored Kaiba’s grumbling about having to “see Jounouchi in his fucking mansion”.

Having lost his Egyptian family to nature and time, Atem had indoctrinated his friends to be his family. There were no stronger bonds than the ones you chose yourself, after all. But as life happened and the Friendship Brigade (as Kaiba _still_ to this day referred to them as) drifted apart to start anew, there was one constant in Atem’s life that made his heart skip and his mind to go fuzzy.

Kaiba had always pushed – it was all the man knew how to do. He pushed for a better future for Mokuba, he pushed against Gozaburo, he pushed for the refocusing of KaibaCorp into something that made enjoyable things instead of weapons of destruction, he pushed to rebuild himself after his Mind Crush, he pushed Yami to make them both become better duelists, and when he had become Atem again, and left, Kaiba had pushed to get his ass back on this Earth and back to him.

Before the Ceremonial Battle, Atem had sat in Yugi’s room for hours and the two said their goodbyes in the privacy of the other’s company. He had known Yugi needed a farewell from him – the boy would have been broken without it, and after all their time together Atem couldn’t fathom breaking his heart more than he was about to. Atem had asked Yugi to promise not to search for him – the gods had made it clear this was the last life they were willing to give him, and it was already more than most others got – and Yugi knew that Atem deserved rest and peace. Atem knew he would see Yugi, and everyone else, when it was time. Atem’s destiny had been to die, and he had technically fulfilled it twice.

What Atem hadn’t foreseen was how unable to accept such a thing Kaiba was.

In all the years Atem had known Kaiba, the CEO had brushed off all signs and displays of affection and sentimentality, save those reserved for his baby brother. It was with a respect for Kaiba’s distaste of mawkishness that Atem had held his heart in his chest and walked with pride into the afterlife. He had done so thinking Kaiba would respect the dignity of his purpose, and he had been terribly wrong.

Kaiba had been _furious_.

Yugi had done his best to calm Kaiba down and explain to him Atem belonged in the afterlife, but Kaiba would have absolutely none of it. He didn’t want to hear it. Kaiba couldn’t understand how Yugi had been able to accept this fate, because everyone _made_ their own fate, and the gods could shove it where he was concerned. Kaiba was damned if he was going to let them take away Atem’s chance at an actual life, one that did not have to bend to their ultimate plan.

And so, Kaiba had basically declared war against Osiris.

Kaiba had stood there, with his heart on Ma’at’s scale, and argued until he was blue in the face that Atem deserved to live a normal life. He had been chosen to die to save the world, spent 3000 years in the shadows of the Millennium Puzzle, wandered the Earth as a spirit with no name and no memory until he fulfilled his gods-given destiny a second time to rid the world of Zorc. Kaiba had inveighed that the gods had used Atem as nothing more than a pawn in their chess game without any regard for his happiness, something that Atem still to this day cannot get over. Kaiba had felt more towards him than Kaiba had ever thought possible of himself, and when the gods took that future away from both him and Atem, Kaiba knew he would stop at nothing and would fight everyday for the rest of his life to give Atem what the gods had never thought to – a new life free from burden.

And when Ma’at had proved his heart to be genuine and true, Osiris had considered his proposal with the other gods, they came to a decision with a single caveat. It was not everyday someone changed the gods’ minds, and Osiris was not about to let some mortal show him up in his own kingdom.

There had been one single promise Kaiba had made in his life that he knew with every fiber of his being that he would never break - he would have to die first. That promise had been that he would always protect Mokuba, no matter what against. And when the gods had told him that they would allow Atem’s soul to return to Earth to live a normal mortal life, but only if Seto swore on his soul that he would see to Atem’s happiness and never commit a sin against him, Seto knew that this would be the second promise he would keep until he was dead. There was never a doubt in his heart, soul, or mind of his ability to keep such a vow.

When Seto and, consequently, Atem both returned from the afterlife to the floor of a Temple of Osiris in an obscure ancient part of Egypt, Seto had made a secret vow, a whisper in Atem’s ear as they clutched to each other, that he would never let him go again.

Atem had been all to happy to agree.

Seto had kept to his word to a fault, and Atem had done his best to bring happiness to the other as well. The two had thrived, and with them, everything around them seemed to so, too. KaibaCorp stock was rising again, sales were through the roof with new gaming equipment and Seto’s new Duel Link system going live. Atem’s friendships flourished and blossomed in a way they never could when he was being held back by the haunting of his past. Every once in a while, he would enter higher tournaments for fun and for the thrill. But above all else, Atem explored the world around him; he took daily walks through Domino, went on day trips with Yugi to Tokyo in the summer or weekend trips to Hokkaido in the winter, and when Seto had work overseas, Atem came with him every time. Seto would make sure they always had extra days before or after his work so he and Atem could have a mini vacation to themselves.

It was years into their domestic life together that Atem broached the topic of adoption late one night. Seto’s head had immediately snapped up in surprise, and for the first time, Atem could see the words in the other’s mouth jump over each other and stumble as they tried to come out. “You really – are-are you sure – _yes_ , absolutely –” and Seto had kissed him with such a tender ferocity that Atem could do nothing but melt.

Nearly three years ago now, Atem and Seto had brought home a baby girl with a shock of chestnut hair and big, bright, beautiful sea-green eyes. And when Atem offered the name Mana, for their shared childhood friend from another life that this child reminded him so much of, Seto could only smile and tell him it was perfect for her.

It had been a hot topic for them to name Mana’s Godparent – Kaiba was adamant that it be Mokuba, and Atem agreed he should, but also believed Yugi should be as well. Both Mokuba and Yugi had such a heavy presence in their lives, and it seemed almost cheap to name one over the other to care for Mana in Atem and Seto’s absence. So, Atem got Seto to compromise (with the way Seto reacted to his mischievous teasing and haughty looks it wasn’t hard) and Yugi and Mokuba had been named ‘Co-Godparents’.

And so, Atem’s family grew, and he had never, in any of his previous lives, been happier than he was right now. He cherished raising Mana with everything that he was. He spent his days with her while Seto was at the office; sometimes he would bring her to the KC Tower so everyone could see her and would sneak into the corner office to see his husband while the secretaries and design teams passed the bubbly babe around.

Today was one such late summer day where Atem was lazing around the mansion while Kaiba attended to the office, Mana playing amongst her Kuriboh and Blue Eyes plush dolls, making the two ‘battle’ and (be still Atem’s heart) declaring the adorable brown fluff ball the winner.

Seto had gotten home late the night before, but when Mana bounded up to him and asked him to play Duel Monsters (or, as her three year old self proclaimed it as, “Dwool Munstahs”), all his exhaustion melted away in front of Atem’s eyes. Atem’s heart melted as Seto scooped the girl up and sat them at the table with her in his in lap, and dramatically challenged Atem to a _dwool_. The cards were still laid out on the dining room table, Seto and Mana having decimated Atem in their mock match (Atem let them win; Seto had rolled his eyes behind Mana’s head at some of the purposefully dumber moves Atem had made).

It had prompted Atem’s shit-eating smirk and subsequent comment, “It seems the only time you’ve been able to beat me in a _dwool_ , Seto, is with the help of a three-year-old.”

The glint in Seto’s eyes as Atem plucked Mana out of Seto’s lap to put her to bed sent a river of shivers up Atem’s spine. Seto’s narrowed, devilish blue eyes and the biting of his lower lip held every promise in Seto’s mind as to what he was going to do to punish him for that comment, and as soon as Mana’s door was shut behind him, Seto made good on every _god damn_ one of them and absolutely ravaged Atem.

One leg slung over the couch arm, deliciously sore, and tremendously content, Atem let his eyes close as he soaked in his happiness. He had a husband who loved him, a perfect daughter, and a new life that had no implications or purpose other than to just _be_. He had never thought life could be so absolutely, positively wonderful.

The clear sound of paper ripping in the otherwise silence of the room immediately dispersed any sense of calm Atem had. That dense, stiff paper tear was a very distinct and recognizable sound, and it did not bode well for either the culprit or her father.

Atem had nearly vaulted himself over the back of the couch to reach his daughter and pull her away from the table of cards, and only once she was a safe distance, turned her around to see what was in her hands.

Well, shit.

Mana proffered the split card to her father, smile triumphant and eyes glittering. “Wook, daddy, I did id! I killed da Bwue Eyes!”

“Oh, fuck.”

When Atem’s face went blank with incomprehension as his mind raced to bring himself up to speed with the situation, the curse simply slipped out. The Blue Eyes White Dragon. Mana ripped up one of Seto’s Blue Eyes White Dragons. Holy shit. He was going to kill him so he could bring him back to life (again), and then kill him again.

Mana’s triumphant look withered when her father did not return her enthusiasm. “Daddy?”

Atem sighed and took the two pieces of the card from her and took her hand in his. “Come, let’s sit down. We need to have a talk.”

And so, for the next hour, Atem proceeded to explain the Heart of the Cards to his daughter, and how each card had a heart (at this, Mana had burst out crying and Atem patiently waited for her to calm down before he gently explained that, _no_ , she didn’t actually ‘kill’ it). He grabbed his own deck to explain how important the Dark Magician was to him, and how he had fought by Atem’s side for years. He was a trusted partner and friend to Atem, and that’s what the Blue Eyes White Dragon was to Daddy Seto. Mana didn’t burst out crying again, but her lip quivered as she struggled to understand. And when she asked questions about the cards, if he could fix the card to make it better, or if she could find Daddy Seto a new one, Atem had answered her gently that he would help her try to fix it.

Atem texted Seto to make sure he didn’t stay late tonight, and the limo pulled up outside at exactly 5:15pm. Atem guessed then that, well, Seto knew something was up. And know something was up he did, because when Seto opened the door, he was on high alert as if he expected someone to come out of the shadows at any second.

When no immediate danger presented itself, Kaiba cupped Atem’s cheek, thumb rubbing across the bronzed skin as he pressed a kiss to the center of Atem’s forehead. Atem’s eyes closed as he sighed at the tender contact, trying to release his own tension with it. When he opened his eyes again, he met ice-blue ones that saw right through his own hesitancy.

“Do you want to tell me what’s going on? You never text me about the office.” And it was true – in all the years they had been together, it had never upset or even peeved Atem how much time Seto spent at the office. It wasn’t even something Atem thought about, to be honest. Atem knew how much Seto loved his work, and how much it called of him, and had never let that interfere in their relationship. And on days when he knew the office would keep him well past dinnertime, Atem knew to bring Mana in to the office during his lunch break so he could see his daughter before she was put to bed.

“Your daughter has something to tell you.” Atem said pointedly and turned a gentle smile to Mana and offered her his hand. “Come.” Atem took Seto’s in the other and led them both to the den where Atem had his discussion with Mana earlier. Atem sat Mana down between them on the plush blue couch, and encouraged her to face her other father. Atem kept a solid hand on her shoulder even as her tiny little body trembled with the effort not to burst out in tears after each word. For as young as she was, she was determined to tell her father just how sorry she was and how much she wanted to fix the situation.

When she was finished, Seto bent down to level his eyes with her and said sincerely, “I understand, baby. Thank you for telling me,” before bringing her in for a tight hug. Only then did the poor, distraught girl give away to sobs, but Seto rubbed her back in circles and gently rocked her until they were mere hiccups. That’s when Seto’s unimpressed expression met Atem’s, and Atem started to bristle faintly at it.

“How could you let this happen?”

Atem thought he heard wrong. He certainly heard that wrong, right? There’s no fucking way he –

“ _Excuse me_?”

Seto smirked, but it was all petulance and no playfulness. “Well, now I _have_ to call Pegasus.”

“And how is that _my_ fault?” Atem stood up in indignance, and Kaiba followed.

“Have you forgotten what that man has done, to both of us?”

Atem rolled his eyes. “No, I have not, but I’m sure he will understand. It is not I who left his irreplaceable rare cards on the dining room table.”

“And your Dark Magician isn’t irreplaceable?”

“You and I both know the original is with Yugi, despite my love for the card I have. I do not see your point.”

“My _point_ is that you should have been keeping our daughter from _tearing up my Blue Eyes_.”

Atem’s eyes narrowed into a glare, and his voice lowered. “Well, it’s not my fault you decided to _tie me down_ last night and made it so I could barely _walk_ , Seto.”

“Then you could have called the damned _nanny_ or one of the Friendship Brigade to watch her if you couldn’t _handle_ last night.”

Atem’s glare turned to petulant in a flash. His tongue clicked against the roof of his mouth as he formed the words, “This wouldn’t be such a big deal if you hadn’t torn up Ji-chan’s card-”

Seto’s smirk morphed into a sneer and his eyes flashed. “You did _not_ just go there.”

Atem’s pointer finger jabbed itself into Seto’s chest with each word. “ _I. Just. Did_.”

Mana watched the entire exchange from her perch on the couch, her short legs swinging slightly. Her tears had dried and now that her earlier dire circumstances had vanished, she proceeded to watch the volley between her two fathers. She did not understand much at all what they were talking about, but the smart little thing could read body language better than most adults. So, when Seto’s face dropped into an incredulous, uncomprehending expression that her other father had worn just hours earlier, her mind had only one learned response to it, and she hoped with all her might that it would help diffuse the situation.

“Aw, fuck.”

It didn’t help, as cute as it was.

Seto’s eyes quickly shot to his daughter, and when they turned to his husband in the next beat, they were absolutely _livid_.

“Did you teach her that?!”

Atem’s mouth was screwed up to one side in a valiant effort to contain his laughter. When that failed, he tried biting his lips together as the muscles in his stomach spasmed under the effort. It didn’t work, and Atem doubled over, holding his stomach as the bursts of laughter overcame his body.

It was only when Seto’s raging, “ _ATEM_!”, reached his ears over his own mirth that Atem was able to pull himself together for the most part.

“Is- Is that,” another round of giggles overcame him, “really,” a wide, grounding breath in, “the fight you – you,” his lips pursed together as another wave started, “ _want to pick right now_?” The strain of holding down his giggles had forced his voice to rise, and once the sentence was out, Atem gave himself over to them once and for all.

Seto’s hand rubbed across his face as his pissy mood dissipated and the full situation came into focus. Seto was dreading that call to Pegasus; he could only imagine what the eccentric creep would want in return for reprinting his Blue Eyes. But for now, he would be content with catching Atem around the waist and holding the gorgeous man to him while he proceeded to punish him with tickles as his beautiful daughter laughed.


End file.
